Heartbreak and Forgiveness
by Arina Ketchum
Summary: A look at Ash, Misty, Brock, and Electra, as they begin their families...
1. Chapter 1

Heartbreak and Forgiveness, Chapter 1  
  
By Arina Ketchum  
  
Author notes: The characters "Electra", "Sailor Raichu", and "Tuxedo Takeshi" are property of Electra. Many thanks to her for allowing me the use of her wonderful characters.  
  
WARNING: Contains some mature language. Would rate this at a PG.  
  
As Ash Ketchum drove his sports car into the driveway of his three-story home in Elegant City, he imagined the look of delighted surprise his wife, Misty, would have, when he walked in, two days earlier than expected from a conference with the Pokemon League. Pikachu, sitting in the passenger's seat, smiled up at it's friend, as Ash parked next to Misty's aqua blue corvette and took off his seatbelt.  
  
"Home at last." Ash said above the car's beeping, signaling him to take the key out of the ignition. "I'm glad we got here early, Misty really didn't want me to go anyway.  
  
"Pika-Pikachu." Pikachu agreed as it leapt out of the car behind Ash.  
  
Ash quickly opened the door and he and Pikachu dashed into the foyer as Ash called out, "Misty, we're home!"  
  
When Ash got no response, he jogged into the spacious kitchen and found no one there. Suddenly, a shrill "Toge-Toge!" came from the second floor landing, and Ash and Pikachu knew immediately something was wrong. Racing back to the foyer, and up the stairs, three steps at a time, Ash found Togepi sitting outside Ash and Misty's bedroom door, clearly upset.  
  
Without asking what was wrong, Ash tried the door and found it locked. "Misty!" he shouted frantically as he pounded on the door. "Misty, open the door!"  
  
A few seconds later, Ash heard the lock being adjusted and the doorknob turn.  
  
"Misty?" he asked hopefully. He pushed on the door and found no one behind it. "Hey buddy," he turned to Pikachu, "take Togepi downstairs for a snack, ok?"  
  
"Pika." Pikachu said solemnly, knowing something was really wrong, and Ash and Misty needed to be alone right now.  
  
"Misty?" Ash walked into the bedroom, closing the door behind him. Misty was lying on their king-size bed, facing away from him. "Misty, what's wrong?" Ash asked as he crawled onto the bed next to her. Misty made no move to face him or answer.  
  
"Misty," he touched her arm, "I can't help if you don't talk."  
  
At his touch, Misty curled up into a fetal position and began to cry. "I can't." she sobbed repeatedly, "I just can't." It was obvious she was in pain, emotionally.  
  
Ash took off his jacket, then slipped his arms around the prone figure, whispering in her ear, "Yes, you can, Misty. Are you upset because I left to see the League?"  
  
Misty shook her head and sniffled.  
  
"Did someone hurt you?"  
  
Again, she shook her head.  
  
"Is something wrong with the baby?" Ash had a funny feeling in the pit of his stomach as suddenly remembered Misty had an obstetrician's appointment today....Misty burst into more tears, confirming the answer to be 'yes'. "What - what did they say...was wrong?"  
  
Misty sniffled hard. "I'm not pregnant." she said it so softly that Ash could just hear her. "The doctor said the home pregnancy test I took *sniffle* was just a false positive."  
  
'Holy Mother of God' was the first words thought that went through Ash's head. Needless to say, he was floored by the news. Only a week ago Misty had taken the home test that brought the happy news, and now the official doctor tests were saying it was bunk. Ash rolled over to his side and stared up at the ceiling.  
  
"Ash?" Misty asked quietly. Ash saw she had rolled over and was now looking at him with wide, fearful eyes. "Do you hate me?"  
  
She had to even ask? "Dear God, Misty, what makes you say that? Of course I don't!" Ash reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently. "We'll just keep trying, ok?"  
  
"But what if I can't have children, Ash? What if I'm one of those women - "  
  
"You're not." Ash said firmly. "You're my wife, and I love you and I will be here for you no matter what happens. I want you to rest now, Misty, and later I'll bring up some dinner, ok?"  
  
Misty nodded and Ash pulled the blanket at the end of bed over her. "Just get some rest," he kissed her on the forehead, "I love you."  
  
Ash walked downstairs, into the kitchen and sat down at the table. How had things gone from completely joyous to completely unhappy, Ash wondered. He himself felt like crying, but that seemed silly - Misty hadn't lost the baby (God forbid), because there was no baby to begin with, so what was the point?  
  
Taking a deep breath, he called Pikachu and Togepi into the kitchen. Mouths full of Pocky, (Ash hadn't the faintest idea where they'd gotten that treat), they bounded in from the family room. Ash ran a hand through his black hair. How was he going to explain this to them? 'Hey guess what? Misty's not pregnant after all!', simply wouldn't do.  
  
"Um, guys," Ash got down on his haunches. Remember last week when I told you Misty was going to have a baby?" Togepi and Pikachu both nodded. "Well, she went to the doctor and it looks like she's not having a baby after all."  
  
"Pika-Pi!" Pikachu cried and jumped into Ash's arms to console his friend. Togepi just sat on the floor bemused by the fact that Misty was upset at all, because she had Togepi as her baby. What difference did it make if she had another one or not?  
  
Ash set down Pikachu on the tiled floor and tried hard to hide the emotional tears the hug had produced. "Thanks, Pikachu. Now I have to call Mom and Brock and tell them the news." He stood up and looked out the window. "Why don't you go play outside with the other Pokemon until it gets dark?"  
  
Togepi and Pikachu agreed and ran to the glass sliding door in the family room. Ash released all his other Pokemon - even Charizard and Snorlax - so they could get some fresh air.  
  
Taking another deep breath, Ash sat down at the videophone and dialed his mother's phone number in Pallet Town. "Hello, Mom?" he asked when she picked up the phone, "It's Ash."  
  
Ash didn't want to be talking to his mother over the phone about this - he wanted to run into her arms for a hug, to hear her say everything was going to be all right. He was much too old for that nonsense, however. Right now, he needed to concentrate on Misty.  
  
"I'm so sorry, Ash." His mother said sincerely. "I know you and Misty were really excited..."  
  
"Thanks Mom."  
  
"Is there anything I can do? Do you want me to visit for a few days . . .?"  
  
"No, no that's ok Mom. We'll be ok." Of course he'd meant to say, "No, come as quickly as you can, 'cause you're little boy is hurting," but the words never came.  
  
"Well," his mother said with much doubt. "If you're sure you'll be all right. Call me in a few days, ok?"  
  
"Sure thing, Mom."  
  
"Ash, I love you."  
  
"I know, Mom."  
  
"Are you changing your - "  
  
"MOTHER!" Ash exclaimed even before she could finish. "I'm a grown man, for crying out loud!"  
  
"And I'm still your mother, and as such, I have a responsibility."  
  
"Um, right Mom. Listen, I still have to call Brock. I'll talk to you later. Bye!" Ash hung up with a heavy sigh of relief. He knew his mother loved him, but did she have to bring up the most embarrassing subject in the world every time they talked?  
  
Ash sighed again as he picked up the receiver again. Talking to Brock would be a lot harder than talking to his Mom about this, because he, Misty and Ash had been friends since they were kids.  
  
The phone rang once, then twice on the other end before it was picked up. "Brock?" Ash asked, his voice sounding sort of funny.  
  
"Ash!" Brock cried happily as the videophone popped Ash's picture onscreen. "How are you, man!" he said as a door slammed in the background at his house. "Hang on, Ash." "Hey, El, Ash is on the phone!"  
  
"Coming!" a female voice cried out.  
  
Brock turned back to the screen as Electra, Brock's wife appeared behind him. "Hi Ash!" The brown-haired woman smiled. "What's up?"  
  
"Um, well, why don't you go first?"  
  
Brock's grin only widened as he looked up at Electra. "There's going to be another Stone in the family."  
  
Ash's eyes widened. "You mean..."  
  
Brock and Electra nodded.  
  
"Your father re-married and they're going to have kids?"  
  
Brock and Electra fell over. "Ash!" Brock yelled when he sat up again. "I have enough siblings as it is without adding step kids to the group!"  
  
"No Ash, Brock's trying to say we're the ones having a baby."  
  
Ash's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "You guys?!" he cried.  
  
"Yep, two months along. We just found out three days ago." Brock reached up and patted Electra's stomach.  
  
"Now Misty and I can go shopping for maternity clothes and baby stuff as soon as I can get some time off from this slave driver here." Electra snaked her arms around Brock's shoulders.  
  
Ash's face fell - straight down to the floor. "No, you can't." he said softly.  
  
Brock sensed something wrong immediately. "Ash, what is it? What's wrong? Has something happened to Misty?" When Ash didn't answer, he threatened, "Ash tell me now before I come over there and beat it out of you."  
  
Ash couldn't bear to look at his friends. "That's the real reason I called. Misty's not pregnant. Never was. The O.B.G.Y.N. said it was a false alarm."  
  
Electra let out a small gasp of shock and Brock just sat in silence.  
  
"Misty'll be waking up from her nap pretty soon. I have to make her dinner." Ash quietly said. "I'll talk to you guys later. Congratulations, too."  
  
The videophone shut off so quickly that Brock didn't get a chance to respond. Electra, meanwhile, had run into the kitchen and grabbed her car keys.  
  
"Let's go, Brock. They need us over there." Electra appeared behind him as she opened the closet door and grabbed her jacket.  
  
Brock jumped up. "Whoa, Ele, slow down."  
  
"Slow down? Did you see the look of pain on Ash's face? Think of how upset Misty must be!"  
  
"Yeah, that's exactly what I'm thinking of. A pregnant woman puttering around their house, telling them to perk up is not the thing they need right now."  
  
"Brock, don't you dare tell me I can't go!" Electra started growing angry.  
  
Brock cupped her chin. "I'm not telling you, I'm ordering you to stay behind. Someone needs to take care of the breeder's shop anyway."  
  
"Damn you, Brock Stone!" Electra screamed as Brock left through the front door. "Humph." she muttered. "You ordered Electra not to go," she said as she walked back into the kitchen and put down her car keys again, "but you never said anything about Sailor Raichu..." She walked back into the living room and held up a special transformation wand given to her not so long ago.  
  
"Raichu Thunder Power, MAKE UP!" she yelled.  
  
The air began to sparkle with electricity as a thin wave of lightning wove around her body as her clothes disappeared and were replaced by a seifuku - a uniform that consisted of a white leotard and red skirt, matching red boots, and a gold tiara with a garnet stone in the center.  
  
"No one orders me around, especially you, Brock Stone!" Sailor Raichu snarled. She held the transformation wand above her again. "Senshi teleportation!"  
  
In an instant, Sailor Raichu had disappeared by the powers of the pen, on her way to the Ketchum residence.  
  
* * * *  
  
"Brock!" Ash exclaimed when he answered the door later that night.  
  
"After you called, I jumped into my car to see if -"  
  
"Hi Brock!" Electra popped her head out from the kitchen and smiled cheerfully.  
  
"Electra!"  
  
"What happened to you, dear? Your car break down on the way over?"  
  
"Electra came by about two hours ago and made dinner for us." Ash said.  
  
"Ash, I'm going to take some tea up to Misty. I'll be back down in a few minutes." Electra called out.  
  
As Ash and Brock heard her go up the steps, Ash said, "I don't know how she got here so fast."  
  
"Neither do I." Brock lied, silently fuming. He knew exactly how Electra had arrived so soon and he'd be having some very strong words with her when they got back to Pewter. "How's Misty?"  
  
"She's a little better since Electra arrived. She even ate half the serving of stir-fry Electra made for dinner."  
  
Brock nodded. "Maybe I should go then, since Elé seem to have taken over."  
  
"No, no, Misty's been asking for you, and Electra promised you were coming."  
  
"Does she know?"  
  
Ash nodded. "She took the news better than I expected."  
  
Brock laid a hand on Ash's shoulder. "Ash, had I known, I wouldn't have said a word until much later. I'm sorry."  
  
"It's all right, Brock. She would have found out eventually; it's best not to keep secrets from her."  
  
"I didn't mean just Misty, I meant you too." Brock explained at the sound of two sets of footsteps coming down the stairs.  
  
"She wanted to see you." Electra said as she appeared in the doorframe, holding Misty by the arm.  
  
"Hi Brock." Misty smiled weakly. She was dressed in a nightgown and bathrobe, her short red hair hanging loose. "I'm sorry I'm not properly dressed . . ."  
  
Brock cut her off with a hug. "It's ok, Misty," he said softly, "How are you?"  
  
"I'm ok."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Why don't we sit down in the family room? We have a lot to talk about." Electra said.  
  
"Sounds good." Ash grabbed Misty as Electra followed behind Brock. Electra knew Brock was furious with her, and getting angrier, but she had had enough of Brock Stone telling her what and what not to do.  
  
Ele, we'd better head for home." Brock announced at one a.m., "and let Ash and Misty get some sleep."  
  
"NOW?!" Misty and Ash cried as one. "You guys wouldn't make it home before three!"  
  
"Uh-huh." Electra yawned, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. "You've never helped birth a bunch of Igglybuff babies in distress in the middle of the night, gone to bed at five, then gotten up at seven to open the shop. We've done this before, Ash, it's no big deal."  
  
"What if you fall asleep at the wheel? I won't allow you to go, both of you upstairs to the guest room on the third floor now!"  
  
* * * *  
  
"We'll have to call Tim in the morning." Brock said as he stripped down to his boxers. "He'll have to cover for us at the shop until we get home."  
  
"Mm." Electra nodded as she changed into the cotton nightgown Misty had loaned her.  
  
"Electra?"  
  
"I heard you." Electra announced flatly as she folded down the bed covers. "Goodnight."  
  
Brock watched as his wife carefully avoided looking at him as she snuggled into bed. Something was up with Electra, but Brock couldn't put his finger on it.  
  
Neither of them slept well that night, even though the previous day had been tiring for them both. Electra rose at six, and quietly slipped on her clothes.  
  
Brock followed her downstairs into the kitchen a few minutes after she'd left their bed. She was about to break her fourth egg into a green ceramic glazed bowl when Brock, leaning against the doorframe, a frown on his face, asked, "You can't give me the cold shoulder forever, Electra."  
  
Electra cracked the egg against the rim of the bowl and dropped its contents in with one swift move.  
  
"Who said I'm giving anyone the cold shoulder, especially you, my husband."  
  
Brock strode over to her and stood behind her, the anger from last night building again.  
  
"What in God's name is wrong with you? I'm the one that should be angry, not the other way around!"  
  
Quickly, Electra held her transformation wand above her head, "Raichu Thunder Power MAKE-"  
  
Brock grabbed her wrist, cutting her off. "Teleportation won't work this time," he growled. He was bound to get physically hurt in a minute by Electra, but like hell he was going to stand there without a word from her after last night's stunt. He grabbed the wand out of her hand and made her turn around. She looked down at the floor.  
  
"Look at me, Electra." he growled, shaking her a little. "Look at me, damn it!"  
  
Electra obeyed, only for one moment. Brock's mood changed entirely when he saw her eyes bright with tears. She tore from his grip, and ran out of the room, crying, "Baka!"  
  
The trip back to Pewter was the engaged in complete silence. Electra sat in the passenger's seat, staring out the window. Brock drove, chewing on a fingernail, and staring blankly at the road ahead. Occasionally, he would look over at her, wondering what exactly had gone wrong in Pallet. At one stoplight, he took out her transformation wand, and placed it on the seat beside her. Electra didn't even flinch when it rolled against her thigh.  
  
At the speed they were traveling, they reached home in an hour and a half. As soon as Brock pulled into their driveway, Electra grabbed the wand and made a break for their house.  
  
"Electra! Electra wait!" Brock called as he struggled to unfasten his seatbelt and go after her. "ELECTRA!" He finally got free of the seatbelt and ran up to their bedroom and found the door to be locked. Pounding on it, he yelled, "Electra, open this door now!"  
  
"SENSHI TELEPORTATION!"  
  
"Electra, don't!" Brock rammed the door and the lock broke under the force.  
  
Electra had simply disappeared into thin air.  
  
* * * *  
  
Electra didn't come back that night, or the night after. Months passed without a word from her. Brock grew increasingly worried every day that passed. Six weeks before Electra's due date, he was going crazy, and three weeks later, he was going berserk. What if she'd already had the baby? Had somehow gotten into some trouble and was in need of medical attention, without being able to contact anyone?  
  
Finally, he thought, he only had one option left.  
  
That night, a bright spotlight filled the night sky, the silhouette of a Raichu's head inside it. Pewter City had seen this light before - Sailor Raichu was being called on to defend the city.  
  
Tuxedo Takeshi looked up at the sky as he leaned against the giant light situated on a skyscraper's flat roof. She would come - unless she was detained . . .  
  
"You can turn off the spotlight. I'm here." Sailor Raichu said behind him.  
  
Takeshi turned to face her -and his heart leapt with joy - her stomach was still swollen, meaning she had not given birth yet. Her gloved hands clenched into fists as a strong wind blew her long hair and his cape. "If this is about Electra, she's not coming back."  
  
"Because of a simple misunderstanding?"  
  
Sailor Raichu laughed harshly. "Misunderstanding my foot. If Brock's already forgotten, I'll have to remind him. Brock seems to forget that Electra is his wife - his life partner, not another one of his brothers or sisters he has to act a parent to. When Brock ordered Electra to stay behind after Ash called that night, that was the last straw. When Brock got angry when he saw her that night, and then the next morning, she made up her mind to leave. Ash and Misty are her dear friends too, just because she was pregnant and Misty wasn't did not mean she would rub it in Ash and Misty's faces."  
  
Takeshi turned to look at the sky again. "Someone needed to look after the shop."  
  
Raichu choked back a loud laugh. "That's Brock's best excuse? You males are all the same, with no hope of changing. Electra was right to leave when she did. Her unborn child will now live in a home free of Brock's cruelty toward her and maybe even the child itself. I'll tell Electra I tried my best."  
  
Raichu began to walk off, the bottoms of her high heels scraping along the rooftop. Takeshi clenched his fist and squeezed his eyes shut. "Wait."  
  
The scraping noise stopped and Raichu looked over her shoulder.  
  
"I made the same promise to Brock, that I would negotiate. If Brock changed - if Brock honestly changed his mannerisms, his way of treating Electra, would she forgive him and come back?"  
  
"It's not that she has to come back - it's the old Brock Electra was friends with, the one she fell in love with, that must return. Why would Brock want to change now after all?"  
  
"Because - " Takeshi paused. "He loves her with all of his heart, although he doesn't know how to show his affection for her at times. Surely she must realize that, and love him back just as much?"  
  
Raichu answered, "If that is your message, then I will relay it to -" she suddenly gasped, as if in pain, and fell to her knees.  
  
"Sailor Raichu!" Takeshi rushed to her. "What is it?"  
  
"The baby!" she managed to gasp. "The baby is-" Just as she said that, her body began to undo the powers of the transformation wand, and once more, she became Electra, mild-mannered Pewter citizen - that was about to give birth on top of a skyscraper!  
  
"The contractions started two days ago and they weren't severe until just before I transformed..." she winced.  
  
"Sshh. It's all right. We'll get you to a hospital in time."  
  
"Thank you, Tuxedo Takeshi," she whispered as he picked her up in his arms. "The contraction's passed now, but the time in between them is shortening."  
  
"We'll use a few secret shortcuts through the city to get to the hospital faster."  
  
"Takeshi? Do you think you could contact Brock for me and tell him it's time?"  
  
Takeshi smiled down at her. "I'm sure that can be arranged."  
  
"...And tell him...tell him I love him and I forgive him, because I know he has changed."  
  
Takeshi nodded. "I think that is best left for you to do, Electra, face-to- face. Now," he said pointedly to her stomach, "you stay in there until we get to the hospital and Daddy arrives, because Tuxedo Takeshi may be a superhero - but he knows nothing about giving birth!"  
  
So said, Tux, Electra, and said soon-to-be-born-baby raced across the top of the skyscrapers to the nearest hospital.  
  
End Chapter 1 


	2. Chapter 2

Heartbreak and Forgiveness, Chapter 2  
  
By Arina Ketchum  
  
"I'm home!" Brock announced as he walked into his house in Pewter City.  
  
"Daddy! Daddy!" a little girl cried as she ran in from the kitchen.  
  
"Hi Karen!" Brock cried happily as his two-year-old daughter jumped into his arms.  
  
"How are you?"  
  
"Good!"  
  
"Where's Mommy, pumpkin?"  
  
"She's asleep on the couch."  
  
"Asleep, huh?" Brock walked into the family room. Electra was curled up on the couch, sound asleep. Brock put Karen down and leaned over Electra. "Elé, wake up, hon."  
  
"Mm, Brock?" Electra murmured sleepily and opened one eye.  
  
"El, it's time to wake up."  
  
"Wait..." Electra sat up, still groggy. "Karen! Where's Karen!"  
  
"Right here, Mommy." Karen said cheerfully.  
  
"I fell asleep! I can't believe it! I was watching Karen play with her dolls and the next thing..." Electra began to sob.  
  
"Mommy, don't cry! I am O.K.!" Karen crawled into Electra's lap and began sucking her thumb.  
  
"Electra," Brock grabbed her shoulders. "Calm down. Everything's fine. Don't say anything else." he picked Karen off Electra's lap and sat her on the floor.  
  
"You want chicken nuggets for dinner, Kar?"  
  
"Yeah! Tichen nugget!" Karen cried excitedly, mispronouncing the name of her favorite food.  
  
"Chicken nuggets it is then!" Brock said as he picked up Electra. "Mommy's going to take a nap now. Say goodnight."  
  
"Bye Mommy." Karen called as Brock left the family room with Electra.  
  
"But Karen had chicken nuggets for lunch -" Electra started protesting, but Brock cut her off by putting a finger to his lips.  
  
"Another round of chicken won't kill her." Brock said quietly. "Just rest, I'll take care of everything." Electra was halfway to sleep by the time Brock laid her on their bed and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Sweet dreams, Ele."  
  
* * * *  
  
The videophone rang at eight o'clock, just as Brock had finished setting down Karen for the night.  
  
"Funny how all these events fall into place one after another." Brock said aloud to himself as he picked up the phone. Betting it was a telemarketer, he said, "Stone Cold Mortuary, which of the dead are you mourning for?"  
  
"Brock?" Ash's picture popped up on screen.  
  
Oops. "Hi Ash! What's up, man?"  
  
"Hey! Just wanted to call and say hi."  
  
Brock raised a brown brow. "You never call 'just to say hi'."  
  
"Ash, move over, you're hogging the screen!" Misty's voice announced and then popped up beside Ash.  
  
"Pika-Pi-Pika!" (Hi there, Brock!) Pikachu jumped atop Ash's head.  
  
"Hey, Misty, Pikachu!"  
  
"Brock, we've got great news! Is Electra there? We'd like her to hear it too."  
  
Brock shook his head. "Elé went to bed early. I'll pass on any messages though."  
  
Ash slipped his arm around Misty and pulled her close. "We're gonna have a baby."  
  
Brock fell off his seat in shock.  
  
"And it's official this time. We got confirmation before really getting our hopes up."  
  
"Pi-pi-pi!" Pikachu cried happily.  
  
Brock stood up again, it had suddenly dawned on him what day was today. "Misty, it's your birthday today, isn't it?"  
  
Misty beamed happily and nodded, elation written all over her face. "It's the best present I could've ever received. Well, that and a new bike." she nudged Ash playfully.  
  
"Hey, either we get a baby or a bike. Both of them require maintenance and both are expensive!" Ash retorted just as playfully.  
  
"Take my advice guys, babies are much more enjoyable." Brock smiled.  
  
"Listen to the Pokemon breeder, Misty, I think he knows what he's talking about."  
  
Misty giggled. "I give. Maybe Ash'll get me a bike for Christmas or my next birthday."  
  
"Hey Brock, how is everyone over there? We'll try to visit before the baby's born. I'm dying to see Karen and how big she's gotten."  
  
Brock laughed. "She just turned two with no sign of terrible behavior yet. Karen wears Electra and me both out long before her bedtime."  
  
Misty and Ash laughed. "Well, we've still gotta call a few people with the big news, Brock. We'll call next week about getting over there, ok?"  
  
"Sure thing, Misty! We can't wait, bye!"  
  
"Bye!" the Ketchums smiled as Brock winked out.  
  
Misty sighed as she snuggled closer to Ash. "Mm, do we really have to call my sisters tonight?" she murmured.  
  
"Not if you're not up to it."  
  
"Do we have to call them at all?"  
  
"You really don't like your sisters, do you?"  
  
"You're just now finding that out?" Misty opened one eye. "They didn't even remember my birthday."  
  
"Oh Misty, I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't be. It's not your fault my sisters only care about themselves." Misty wrapped her arms about him and nuzzled his chest lovingly. "Least I have you, and my Pokemon."  
  
"Yeah," Ash answered solemnly. "You do, Misty."  
  
Ash lay awake that night in bed, staring up at the ceiling, Misty snuggled up against him with a smile on her face as she slept. Something about that conversation tonight bothered Ash a great deal. Misty sounded like she seriously wanted to break all ties with her sisters. That, Ash thought, just didn't seem right. Ash didn't have any siblings to compare the Sensational Sisters to, but as far as family went, the three of them acted like Misty didn't exist, except when they needed her help.  
  
Ash fell into an uneasy sleep, a small plan of action forming in his mind...  
  
* * * *  
  
"Pi! Pi! Pi!"  
  
"Bri! Bri! Bri!"  
  
Ash and Misty awoke to Pikachu and Togepi jumping on their bed, more or less demanding breakfast.  
  
"Guys!" Misty whined, "It's Sunday! You can make your own breakfast."  
  
"Pika-Pikachu-Pika-Pi. Pi-Pi-Pi-Pika-Pika-cha!" (We ran out of Pokéchow. Togepi and I want pancakes.)  
  
"Too bad Todd Snap isn't here." Ash mumbled as he pulled the covers over his head.  
  
Pikachu and Togepi looked at each other, then began bouncing on the bed again. "Pika-Pika! Pika-Pika! Pika-Pika!" (Wake up, pancakes! Wake up, pancakes! Wake up, pancakes!)  
  
"Aw, cripes, that's it!" Ash jumped out of bed so fast that he scared both Pokemon. The scowl on Ash's face showed he meant business. Pikachu and Togepi, afraid for their lives, jumped off the bed and ran out of the room. Ash banged the door shut and locked it. "Pikachu is my best friend and everything, but God do I hate morning people who wake everyone else."  
  
"Then you're going to hate the baby. Now go back to sleep while you still can."  
  
The sound of ceramic items being smashed woke Ash and Misty two hours later.  
  
"What was that?" Misty looked at Ash.  
  
"A burgaler?"  
  
Misty whimpered a little before crying out, "Togepi!"  
  
"Pikachu's out there too!" Again, Ash jumped out of bed and ran for the door.  
  
Ash and Misty crept downstairs, Ash holding a wooden baseball bat. "Do you think it's Team Rocket?" Misty whispered.  
  
"We'll find out." Ash answered, cursing himself for not having an alarm system installed in the house. Another crash of pottery startled them. Ash motioned Misty to stay at the bottom of the steps while he went to investigate.  
  
"Pikachu!" Ash cried out in a whisper. "Pikachu, where are you?"  
  
There was a noise coming from the kitchen. Raising the baseball bat above his head, he pushed open the swinging kitchen door...  
  
Much to Ash's surprise, there were no burgalers stealing the silver, however there were several Pokemon standing stock still in the act of making breakfast and Ash catching them.  
  
"PIKACHU! What are you guys doing?"  
  
"Ash?" Misty called from the steps.  
  
"It's ok, Misty, but I think you'd better come look at this."  
  
"What is it..." Misty trailed off as she padded in. "Oh, my God."  
  
All of Misty and Ash's Pokemon had been released from their Pokeballs, including the dangerous Charizard and the enormous Snorlax.  
  
"Pika-Pika-Pi-chu, Pika-Pi!" (We promise we'll clean up, Ash!)  
  
Ash and Misty could only stare at the broken dishes, the measuring cups thrown about, the general *mess*.  
  
"Toge-Togepi." (We wanted pancakes.) Togepi said quietly.  
  
At Togepi's confession, Ash threw down the baseball bat. "PANCAKES!" he roared, "You're lucky if you'll live to see tomorrow! Everyone back in their Pokeballs, NOW!"  
  
Charizard roared angrily, defying Ash's order. It leaned down to Ash and snorted angrily in his face.  
  
"You don't scare me Charizard! Get into your Pokeball now!"  
  
Charizard roared again, and flapped its enormous wings to show who exactly had more power at the moment.  
  
"Ash, put him in a Pokeball before he brings down the house!"  
  
Ash grabbed one of the Pokeballs on the kitchen counter. "Charizard, return!"  
  
No matter how much physical strength Charizard weighted against Ash, Ash was still his master. With a fighting roar, Charizard was encased in the laser beam and disappeared into the Pokeball.  
  
"Starmie, Staryu, Horsea, Goldduck, return!" Misty cried.  
  
With a collective resigned sigh, Misty's Pokemon obediately returned.  
  
"Snorlax, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Muk, return!" Ash called in a demanding tone.  
  
Only Togepi and Pikachu remained out now.  
  
"You two instigated this," Ash wagged an angry finger at the two Pokemon, "and you're going to clean the mess up by yourselves!"  
  
Pikachu and Togepi both began to tear up and sob loudly. Ash slapped his forehead. Their Pokemon were acting like immature brats!  
  
"Ash!" Misty cried in an annoyed tone. Ash turned to her. Misty's arms were akimbo as she arched a brow. "Don't you think that's a bit hard? Is this how you're going to act with your child?"  
  
"This is different!"  
  
"No, it's not." Misty stepped over a pile of dry pancake batter and gathered Togepi in her arms.  
  
"Maybe we'd better reconsider..." Misty couldn't bring herself to finish and pushed past Ash to get to the stairs.  
  
"Misty! Wait!" Ash cried as he heard Misty pound up the steps fast.  
  
"Pik-Pika-chu!" (Misty's right!)  
  
"Now don't you start!"  
  
"Pi-Pikachu! Pika-Pika-Pika-Pi-Pi-Pi!" (Misty's sisters used to treat her the same way! You were the one that refused to make breakfast, it's indirectly your fault!)  
  
Ash slammed his fist down next to Pikachu, making the little mouse jump. "I've been acting like Daisy, Lily, and Violet. Misty's right; no one deserves that kind of treatment, especially my best friend. Will you forgive me, Pikachu?"  
  
"Pika-pi!" (Already done!) Pikachu jumped into Ash's arms.  
  
Ash looked up at the ceiling. I have a funny feeling Misty won't want to jump into my arms immediately though." Ash started to walk toward the front door. "Let's go for a drive, Pikachu."  
  
"Pika-Pikachu-pi?!" (In your boxers?)  
  
Ash looked down at his attire. "Forgot about that."  
  
* * * *  
  
The Cerulean City Gym opened its doors at noon for the Sensational Sisters high-dive Pokemon Water show at one o'clock. Pikachu and Ash (fully dressed), walked into the Gym using the back door as an entrance so as not to attract attention to himself, at ten minutes to one.  
  
Sometimes being the number one Pokemon Master had its drawbacks.  
  
"Hey, Ash." Daisy, Lily, and Violet's manager, Dave, said as Ash arrived back stage.  
  
"Where are they?" Ash demanded.  
  
"The girls? They're about to go on..."  
  
"Delay the show. I want to see them. Now."  
  
"But Ash, I can't! The show's sold out -"  
  
Ash towered over Dave angrily. "I said NOW. Do I need to be any more specific?"  
  
Three minutes later, after Dave had skittered away to find them, Daisy, Lily, and Violet appeared, looking, and feeling, a tad nervous after their manager had begged on hands and knees to avoid bloodshed and talk to Ash.  
  
"This'd better be important." Daisy complained angrily. "Our fans are, like, getting impatient! So hurry up already!"  
  
"You three really don't care, do you." it was a statement, not a question.  
  
"God, Ash, quit being, like, so mysterious! We've got a show to do!" Lily cried.  
  
"Not if you don't want me to contact the League and tell them the *real* reason you're not handling even half the trainers other Gyms are."  
  
Daisy, Lily, and Violet froze. The blood drained from Violet's face as she asked, "You wouldn't! Ash, that would be the end of us and our careers!"  
  
"I know." Ash was somber, and his tone dead serious. "Which is why you're going to go tell Dave that today's show has been cancelled."  
  
The trio looked at one another in fear. When the number one Pokemon Master ordered you to do something, you didn't disobey, unless you wanted to end up sushi later. Lily, trying to sound bold, and feeling like a pack of nerves, said, "We'll need a good reason." she crossed her arms in front of her, trying to look defiant, if only to keep them from slapping against her thighs in fear.  
  
"Oh, there's a good reason all right." Ash's lowered his voice to that of an evil level. "Family emergency."  
  
A half-hour later, Ash, Daisy, Lily, and Violet were seated in the dressing room, looking a might less scared than before.  
  
"Misty's pregnant and she didn't tell us?" Daisy asked, wide-eyed.  
  
Ash nodded in affirmation. "She won't either. She wants absolutely nothing to do with you three, and after the way you've treated her, I'm not surprised. You were lucky to be invited to our wedding, and that was only after Brock and I pleaded on your behalf."  
  
"We had a show that day." Daisy looked away, feeling ashamed.  
  
Ash gritted his teeth. "You put yourselves, your damned shows way ahead of Misty, your youngest sister! I cannot believe what selfish bitches you are! Misty never wanted our child or you to know about each other. I didn't think that was right, so I came to tell you, but now I'm sorry I did. You won't change, I can see, so just as you've always wished, Misty will drop out of your life. You can go on worrying about swimming - that is until the League finds out you're only holding shows instead of battles, and they won't need my help for that. It won't be long before some trainer reports you. Guess Misty won't be of any help then - because, as you've already shown, she doesn't exist." Ash stood up. "Let's go, Pikachu."  
  
"Pi."  
  
Daisy, Lily, and Violet looked at one another, then, as one, cried, "Ash, wait!"  
  
* * * *  
  
Misty sighed as she looked around the kitchen. The place looked like a food fight had erupted, with neither team winning.  
  
"Where to begin?" Misty groaned. She didn't feel like doing this. Starmie and Staryu, beside her, clung to her legs, begging for forgiveness. "It's all right guys, I'm not mad, except at Ash."  
  
At the sound of singing outside, Misty, curious, walked to the front door. Before she opened it, it burst open. Ash, Lily, Violet, and Daisy stood there, laughing hysterically.  
  
"Oh, Ash! That was the best rendition of "The Froggy Song" I ever heard!" Daisy gasped.  
  
"Hi, Misty!" Violet cried and grabbed her younger sister in a hug.  
  
"What in the name of - Violet, get off of me!" Misty shoved her sister away angrily.  
  
"Come in guys - er, girls." Ash stepped into his house, past Misty, her sisters giggling at his error.  
  
"Ash Ketchum, are you drunk? I'm not letting -" Ash cut her off with a long kiss.  
  
"Aww!" the trio cooed. "How sweet!"  
  
Misty tore away from him angrily. "Ash, what the *hell* is going on? Tell me right now!"  
  
"Misty, calm down." Ash said.  
  
"Yeah, but after you do, let us take you out to lunch and then we'll hang out." Lily said.  
  
"What?! But..."  
  
"I'll get your purse!" Ash crooned and headed for the kitchen.  
  
"But-but-but-"  
  
"Here you go!" Ash announced as he re-appeared. "I've put three of my credit cards in your purse, Misty, so have a good time!"  
  
"Thanks, Ash! We'll make sure she does!" Daisy, Lily, and Violet pushed Misty out and shut the door behind them.  
  
Ash sighed. "Now for that kitchen..."  
  
* * * *  
  
The house was spotless by the time Misty got back late that afternoon.  
  
"Misty?" Ash asked hopefully from upstairs, where he was giving Pikachu a cheek massage.  
  
"I'm home." Misty called back in a neutral tone.  
  
Ash ran down the steps, Pikachu, as always, close at his heels. At first, when he reached the foot, he hesitated. Misty met him there, gently kissing him on the lips. "Thank you, Ash."  
  
"What was that for?" Ash was a little bemused.  
  
"This is all your doing, isn't it? About my sisters, I mean."  
  
"Oh *that*."  
  
"Yes, *that*."  
  
Ash motioned her to sit on the sofa with him. "So what happened?"  
  
"Well, after my sisters dragged me away, we had lunch, on them, at Le Chat D'ecour."  
  
"Oh, classy."  
  
"Daisy grabbed my hand, like this," Misty pulled Ash's hand into hers, "and said, 'Misty, we want to reconcile with you. We're sorry for all the terrible stuff we said or did when we were kids, and for not coming to your wedding. We want to be a part of your life - will you ever forgive us?'"  
  
Misty paused and looked at Ash. "And they were really sincere, too, Ash." Misty's eyes were bright with tears. "Ash, if you hadn't intervened, I would never have spoken to my sisters or seen them again."  
  
"Aw, come on, Misty, you're sisters loved you in the first place, they just didn't really express it well enough. I know you love them too. You guys need each other. So what did you say in reply?"  
  
"Well, just as Daisy was finishing, I had this urge to throw up."  
  
Ash laughed. "She was that disgustingly sincere?"  
  
Misty punched him in the arm. "No, morning sickness. Threw up lunch right after I ate it."  
  
"Yuck. Sorry, Mist."  
  
Misty shrugged and leaned against him. "It's ok, I forgave them and told them about the baby. Naturally, they'd already been told." she looked up at him.  
  
"Well, I'm *sorry*, but when I told them, you weren't talking to them!"  
  
"So then we went shopping at the mall and then they went home."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"But Ash, this is all because of *you*. If you hadn't done anything, we'd never have gotten together like this. Will you forgive me for those awful things I said this morning? I was upset by the kitchen mess."  
  
"Ssh." Ash hushed her. "There's no need to apologize, I'm the one that should be apologetic."  
  
"Pika-Pi-Pikachu?" (Does this mean we get pancakes now?)  
  
Misty looked at Ash, and then at Pikachu, and began to laugh.  
  
* * * *  
  
Six months later, Ash and Misty were in bed, reading, when Misty felt something.  
  
"Ash." Misty said softly. Ash looked over at her.  
  
"Yeah?" Ash looked over at her. "It's not time yet, is it?"  
  
Misty shook her head. "No, give me your hand." Misty put his hand on her rounded belly. "You feel the baby kicking?"  
  
"Yeah." Ash smiled at her lovingly. "This baby has a great Mommy."  
  
"She has a great Daddy, too." Misty snuggled as close as she could to him as Ash wrapped an arm around her.  
  
"It's a girl?"  
  
Misty nodded. "I've just got a feeling."  
  
"A gut feeling?" Ash rubbed his hand over her enlarged stomach.  
  
"*Very* funny, Ash."  
  
"I try."  
  
They lay there quietly for a minute.  
  
"Ash?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I'm scared."  
  
Ash paused before admitting, "I am too, Misty, I am too."  
  
* * * *  
  
A month later...  
  
Ash sat in the hospital waiting room, after calling Brock and Electra. Misty had gone into labor early that morning, on the actual due date.  
  
Misty cursed a blue streak as Ash sped her off to the hospital.  
  
"Just breathe, Misty, like in lamas class."  
  
"That's *Lamaze*, you idiot! And I wouldn't be in this position if you hadn't gotten me like this!"  
  
"You were part of this, too! It's not entirely - OW! Misty, quit hitting me!"  
  
Misty howled as another contraction came on.  
  
Ash looked at the clock. "Six minutes apart. Damn, this baby wants *out*! Misty, don't push!"  
  
"I want to!"  
  
"You are *not* delivering in the car! Now breathe, we're almost there!"  
  
Thankfully, Misty did not deliver until they arrived at Mercy Center Hospital and a half-hour later, their baby girl announced her arrival with an unhappy commotion.  
  
"Ash!"  
  
Ash looked up from his seat to see his mom, Brock, and Electra had arrived.  
  
"Oh, Ash, we rushed over here as soon as you called." his mother said.  
  
"Sailor Raichu teleported us here after she heard the news and sent along her congratulations." Electra smiled.  
  
"Thanks, Electra."  
  
"Well, where are Misty and the baby?" his mother asked, almost impatiently.  
  
"Misty's in her room sleeping and the baby's down in the nursery."  
  
"To the nursery!" Electra cried and everyone headed for the elevator.  
  
"So, what's her name?"  
  
"We haven't given her one yet. Misty and I were still debating that last night." Ash said as the elevator stopped at the nursery floor.  
  
"Oh, look at all the babies!" Electra cried as she peered into the nursery glass window.  
  
"There she is!" Ash's mom cried excitedly. "In the crib nearest the door!"  
  
The nurse attending the babes saw the group, recognized Ash and picked up his daughter and brought her over to the window for all to see. Electra and Ash's mom cooed on sight, while Brock slapped Ash on the back. "I should've brought the cigars!" he bellowed, while Ash gave him a weak grin.  
  
"Misty nearly decked me in the delivery room, screaming she was going to kill me later for this."  
  
"All Electra kept talking about was she wanted to be the Dragonair's best friend."  
  
Electra gave Brock a good-natured slap on the arm. "May I remind you I was heavily sedated by then?"  
  
"I was afraid I wasn't very nice in the delivery room as Ash came, either." Mrs. Ketchum admitted as the nurse tucked the baby back into its crib.  
  
Electra and Mrs. Ketchum began talking about their experiences as Brock inquired if Misty might be awake yet.  
  
Ash shook his head. "Likely not. She was zonked when I left her."  
  
"That's alright. She needs her rest and we need to get going." Electra interjected.  
  
Brock agreed. "Karen's babysitter is expensive!"  
  
Ash grinned. "Thank you for coming guys, it means a lot."  
  
Ash and his friends and mother hugged one last time before departing.  
  
For the first time that day, as his friends left, the realization of what had happened, the enormous responsibility that lay ahead of him and Misty finally began to sink in.  
  
"Oh my God." he whispered. He was a Pokemon trainer, not a parent! What did he know about raising a child? He was completely unprepared for this job! He stared at the tiny bundle that was his, sound asleep in its cot, as someone came by, whistling softly, then stopped at the glass window.  
  
"Aren't they just precious?"  
  
"Yeah," Ash answered, "they are." he looked at the person he was talking to and started to gag. "JAMES?"  
  
James looked at Ash, and almost screeched, but remembered this was a quiet zone in time. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I could ask you the same question!"  
  
"I happen to now be the proud father of a baby boy!"  
  
"Well I happen to be the proud father of a baby girl!" Ash pointed at the glass the same time James did, and at the same baby.  
  
"WAH! What are you doing pointing at my kid?!"  
  
"What are you doing pointing at mine?"  
  
Ash and James peered into the window, then gasped as they saw their children's cribs had been placed next to each other.  
  
"GET MY BABY AWAY FROM THAT ROCKET!"  
  
"GET MY SON AWAY FROM HIS DAUGHTER!"  
  
The nurses looked up in confusion at Ash and James' yelling. They grew frantic, pointing and mouthing words to them. Little did they know their wives had crept up behind them, Jessie with Meowth, and Misty with Pikachu. Both let loose a mallet upon their noggins, knocking them out.  
  
"Please excuse my husband, he's a little emotional." Misty said.  
  
"Oh, James will be after I get done with him. Sorry about that." Jessie said just as cordially.  
  
The two then went in opposite directions, each dragging their unconcious husbands behind them.  
  
End Chapter 2 


	3. Chapter 3

Heartbreak and Forgiveness, Chapter 3  
  
By Arina Ketchum  
  
{Begin Live Feed. Camera 1. Pull back on opening shot of a stage that looks like a comfy living room as audience cheers and claps. Camera 4. Pan shot of audience.}  
  
Liza: Welcome to Liza Talks. Today we're talking with the #1 Pokemon Master, Ash Ketchum. Thank you for being here, Ash.  
  
{Camera 2. Close up of Ketchum's face.}  
  
Ash: Thank you for having me.  
  
Liza: We all know the story of how you became a Pokemon Master - what's it like being at the top?  
  
Ash (slight grin): It's sort of a weird feeling . I mean, I spent years and years training, my goal from the very beginning to be the number one master; I never thought I'd actually accomplish that.  
  
Liza: In the astounding last battle of the Pokemon League matches, you switched your Charizard for your Pikachu, even though electric types are weak against grass. What made you switch at the last minute?"  
  
{Switch to Camera 2. Move in 5 feet.}  
  
Ash: (patting Pikachu on the head) Pikachu and I had been together for a long time before that battle. I have a lot of faith in Pikachu - in all my Pokemon, really. But I knew Pikachu would get the job done.  
  
Pikachu: Pika! (makes the victory sign)  
  
Liza: (laughs) Has anyone ever challenged you for the #1 title?  
  
{Camera 4. quick pan of audience. Then switch to Camera 5.}  
  
Ash: Oh sure, a lot of trainers have. Every year when a trainer who looks especially promising reaches the final round, I'm called in. Whoever wins the final round goes onto face me. (Laughs.) So far, no one's been able to beat me.  
  
Liza: You seem pleased about that.  
  
Ash: Oh, I don't mean to sound malicious about it. It took me ten years to become what I am today, I don't plan to give that luxury up anytime soon.  
  
Liza: Let's move onto your personal life. You're married to Misty Waterflower, the youngest trainer from the Cerulean Gym. How did you two meet?  
  
Ash: Back when I was ten, and had just begun my trek from my home in Pallet Town, I got into a fight with a Spearow. The rest of its flock didn't like that, so they all started chasing me and Pikachu. To get away from them, we jumped into a river and floated downstream. We reached calmer waters two miles away and Misty happened to be there, fishing. So I grabbed her line and she pulled me out.  
  
Liza: Was it love at first sight?  
  
Ash: (shakes his head): Hardly. Pikachu had been beaten up by the Spearows and she told me there was a Pokemon Center a few miles away. What did I do? I grabbed her bike standing nearby and started away, leaving her ranting and raving. The Spearows chased us through a gigantic thunderstorm, and in the end, the bike got totally destroyed.  
  
Liza: Oh no!  
  
Ash: Oh yes! Of course, Misty caught up with me later, after finding her bike, and demanded a new one from me. I couldn't pay her back immediately, so she tagged along with me until I could pay her back. Years passed, our relationship turned from "you-owe-me-a-bike", to friends, and eventually, I couldn't see a future without her, so I proposed.  
  
{Audience "awws", then claps. Switch to Camera 4.}  
  
Liza: Isn't that lovely! Now you have a two-year-old daughter, Arina, right? What's she like? Is she a cutey?  
  
Ash: Oh definitely. I never saw myself with kids, but the moment I held her in the hospital ... {pause} I knew. She's very special to me, both of us. Right now she loves playing dress-up and performing. She'll hear something on t.v. and immediately spit it back out at you. Like a commercial or something. She's very special to us, and I'd be torn to pieces if anything ever happened to her.  
  
* * * *  
  
"Mommy! The kitty ad is on again!"  
  
"Is it?" Misty Ketchum didn't bother to look up from the list she was reading. "That's nice, Arina. Let's see, shorts, t-shirts, and swimsuit...Arina, where's your swimsuit?"  
  
"In my room."  
  
"Well, please go get it so I can close our suitcase."  
  
Arina ran out of her parents room down the hall to her room, happily singing the dancing cat jingle. "Prancing cats love kitty treats..."  
  
"I'm home!" Ash called as he came into his house in Elegant City.  
  
"Daddy!" Arina shrieked and ran downstairs.  
  
"Hi, Ash! I'm upstairs packing!" Misty called as she leaned over the banister.  
  
Ash pounded up the steps, holding Arina in his arms. He put Arina down and grabbed Misty at the top step, giving her kiss. "Maybe we can put Arina down early tonight." he whispered into her ear, making Misty giggle.  
  
"Honestly Ash, in front of Arina." she smiled and walked back into their bedroom.  
  
"What'd I say? I just want to get on our vacation off on the right foot."  
  
"Uh-huh." Misty deflected any of that discussion to go further by asking, "Are you all packed?"  
  
"Yup, and all our Pokemon besides Pikachu and Togepi are at Professor Oak's for a relaxing two weeks." Ash turned to the television beind them. What is Arina watching? Not the interview again!" Ash groaned.  
  
"Well, ever since it aired this week, Arina watches nothing else. She really looks up to you, Ash." Misty smiled as she tucked Arina's bathingsuit into an outside pocket of the suitcase.  
  
Arina started to laugh hysterically when Ash, on t.v., flashed a her picture for the camera. "I'm on t.v., just like Daddy!" she cried.  
  
Ash came up behind Arina and picked her up. "You're getting heavy, shortstuff. Have you been eating bags of sugar again?"  
  
Arina laughed. "Put me down Daddy!" she squealed happily.  
  
"Hang on!" Ash plopped her down on top of suitcase. "You hold down the top and I'll zip it closed."  
  
"Yes, Mr. Pokemon Master!" Arina grinned.  
  
Ash tried not to roll his eyes. "Ar, just call me 'Daddy', ok?"  
  
"Why? Other people call you Pokemon Master on t.v., why can't I?"  
  
"Arina, people call him Pokemon Master because he trains Pokemon very well." Misty explained.  
  
"Why don't they call him Mr. Ketchum, like the people at the store do?"  
  
"Your turn." Misty said as she went into the bathroom to pack her toothbrush.  
  
"Um, well, shortstuff, some people don't know me that well, and those that do call me either Ash or Mr. Ketchum. And when people see me, they say I'm a Pokemon Master, because I've trained Pokemon so well."  
  
"Hmmm," Arina looked down at her lap in thought. Then her head shot up, her royal blue hair jerking past her shoulders, and with a grin, she asked, "Can I be a Pokemon Master?"  
  
Ash smiled. "One of these days, Arina, I think you will be."  
  
* * * *  
  
The next morning, the Ketchums were up bright and early. Well, except Arina. She never liked being woken up before eight, and thus, this morning, was irritable. She threw a tantrum while Misty tried to help her dress and she refused to eat breakfast. Much to Ash and Misty's relief, she fell asleep in the car on the two hour ride to the beach.  
  
"I hope she's not like this the entire two weeks of vacation." Misty yawned, tired herself.  
  
"If she is, I'll ship her home in a packing crate with very tiny airholes." Ash said.  
  
"Oh, Ash." Misty laughed along with Pikachu, knowing he was joking. Togepi had fallen asleep in Misty's arms.  
  
Arina turned out to better than expected. After arriving at their rented seaside house, Arina kept Togepi and Pikachu occupied by showing them her picture books while Misty and Ash unloaded the car, then quickly unpacked.  
  
"Oh, I'm so glad we came." Misty collapsed onto the couch and Arina and Togepi fought over who's turn it was to sit in Mommy's lap.  
  
"Where do you want to go for lunch?" Ash asked as he came into the livingroom after storing their suitcase in their bedroom.  
  
"Nowhere. I'm happy just vegging out here."  
  
"Then why don't I take Arina and Pikachu out and let you get some rest."  
  
"Mm, now I know why I married you."  
  
"Great health benefits?" Ash joked. "Ok, 'Rina, let's go for a walk on the boardwalk and you can pick the place we eat."  
  
* * * *  
  
Mommy! I wanna go swimmy!" Arina cried the next day.  
  
"Just a minute, Arina, I'm getting our towels." Misty came into the main room of the beachhouse.  
  
"Ready to go, Ash?" Misty called back to her husband.  
  
"Yeah!" Ash shouted from the bedroom.  
  
"Is Daddy coming swimmy, too?"  
  
"Yes! And I'm going to dunk my little girl!" Ash ran in suddenly, wearing nothing but his swimming trunks, and grabbed Arina, turning her upside down. Arina screamed, delighted in the game. Ash gently lay her on the floor and she ran into the kitchenette area, hiding behind a seat. Ash roared and ran after her. Arina then ran and hid behind her mother.  
  
"Oh, you two!" Misty laughed, and pulled a colorful towel off the back of a chair. "Come on, let's go swimming!"  
  
* * * *  
  
And the little girl learned that Pokemon can be her best friends too." Ash glanced over at Arina, sound asleep, with Pikachu and Togepi at the foot of her bed. Ash put the book down on the dresser and leaned over the bed, kissing his daughter good night. He got up then, and walked across the hall to his and Misty's bedroom.  
  
"She's asleep?" Misty asked from the bathroom adjoining their room.  
  
Ash nodded as he crawled into their bed. "Yep, I think she's beat from all that swimming she did in the ocean today."  
  
"I can't wait till tomorrow when the summer carnival comes to town. She'll love it." Misty yawned. "Mm, I'm beat too."  
  
"We should get some rest. Arina, Pikachu, and Togepi will want to get to the carnival early."  
  
"Isn't it funny, Ash," Misty said as she turned off her lamp on the dresser beside her, "that when we were kids, we'd stay up till eleven o'clock or even try to pull all-nighters, and now that we're older, we can barely stay up till nine."  
  
"Uh-huh." Ash yawned.  
  
"Goodnight Ash."  
  
"Goodnight Misty."  
  
* * * *  
  
"I can't wait till tomorrow, I'm so excited!"  
  
"You keep that up, and you're bound to give us away."  
  
"Who said I'm not allowed to be excited over someone's misfortune?"  
  
"God, you really are evil."  
  
"You're in awe; I'm surprised."  
  
"He was unfortunate that we were watching the program he was on. He'll lose everything that's dear to him."  
  
"Mmm. Watch me in action tomorrow at the carnival, you'll see how evil I really CAN be..."  
  
* * * *  
  
The sounds of the carnival filled the air as Misty, Ash, Pikachu, and Togepi walked down the boardwalk to the carnival in the early afternoon of the next day.  
  
"Wow! Mommy, Daddy, I want cotton candy and ice cream!" Arina cried.  
  
"Hold on, shortstuff, we just got here." Ash laughed.  
  
"I want to go on that!" Arina pointed to the roller coaster. "Can we go on that? Please?"  
  
"Arina's afraid of escalators, and she wants to go on a roller coaster?" Ash asked over his daughter's head to Misty.  
  
Misty shrugged. "She's too young anyway to ride it. Hey, 'Rina, let's go on the airplane ride."  
  
"Yeah!" Arina cried happily, forgetting about the roller coaster. "Planes!"  
  
As Misty and Arina boarded said ride, Ash wandered over to a nearby booth, and bought some cotton candy.  
  
"Whee! That was fun!" Arina cried as the ride ended three minutes later and she and Misty met up with Ash again.  
  
"What do you want to do next, Ar?" Ash asked as he handed her some of the sticky pink confection.  
  
"Mmph." Arina replied as she stuck the sugar treat in her mouth.  
  
"Now she'll be up all night with a sugar rush, I suppose." Misty said blandly as she took in the sites from her spot.  
  
"Oh Misty, c'mon we're on vacation!" Ash shot back.  
  
"If you want to be up with her all night, please, be my guest." Misty shrugged.  
  
"She's NOT going to be up all night." Ash huffed. "Here, 'Rina, you want some -" Ash held out the cotton candy to her. "Arina?"  
  
Misty looked down, and noticed Arina was gone. Frantic, she and Ash looked around them.  
  
"Arina!" they called together, shouting.  
  
"Go Pikachu, find Arina!" Ash cried.  
  
"Pika!" Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder and ran into the crowd.  
  
"I'll keep looking for her. Misty, go find an officer!" Ash commanded. Misty stood there in tears, unmoving. "Misty, c'mon, she couldn't have gone far!"  
  
* * * *  
  
An hour later, after a non-stop search, Misty and Ash were sitting on a bench at the carnival, being questioned by the police. The carnival had been shut down for the rest of the day The entire city police force, along with volunteers, were out looking for Arina at the moment. Once word was carried out that the #1 Pokemon Master's daughter was missing, every media in the region was hounding the police chief for any information and begging to talk to the distraught parents.  
  
Misty and Ash were holding each other tightly as officers stood around, looking suspiciously at anyone passing by that wasn't in uniform.  
  
"What was she wearing?" an officer that looked like the male version of Officer Jenny, asked.  
  
"Um, she was wearing a little pink shirt, and khaki shorts. . ." Misty trailed off as she burst into tears again.  
  
Ash gripped her even more tightly, as he struggled to hold back his own emotions. "They'll find her Misty." he whispered.  
  
Several hours passed with no news of Arina. Search parties had formed around the city, looking for the little girl, while Misty and Ash had gone home to wait in case she might find her way back to the beach house. Sailor Raichu and Tuxedo Takeshi crouched on the roof, listening to the crowd inside the house relaying the information. After a half-hour of intently gathering the information, they looked at one another. "Think it's them?" Takeshi asked quietly.  
  
Sailor Raichu gave him a slight nod. "I've no doubt in my mind."  
  
"Then let's go find them." Tuxedo was about to leap to the next roof, when Raichu grabbed his arm. "If we interfere now, we put Arina in serious danger, and she might very well be killed. It's better to wait and see what develops first."  
  
"She'll be killed if we *don't* act soon!" Takeshi argued.  
  
But Raichu shook her head again. "I know them; they don't want Arina, they want something else."  
  
"But what? Surely not Ash's Pikachu, I thought they'd given up on it years ago."  
  
She shook her head, "I don't know, but whatever happens, we have to be vigilant for any follow-ups."  
  
Days passed, and the search parties on land still hadn't found any trace of Arina, and the coast guard wasn't having much luck either. Then a shocking blow came; someone had found little girl's clothes laying in a ditch by the main drag into the coastal town that matched Misty's description. Misty and Ash gave positive identification that they were the clothes Arina had been wearing the day she had disappeared, and terrified they might find Arina's body next, they sent out a plea to keep looking for her, and to whomever had her, give her back.  
  
"I will do ANYTHING to see Arina again." Ash begged in a televised conference. "Just bring her back safe to us."  
  
Ten days passed, then fifteen. Slowly, even Ash and Misty were beginning to lose hope of finding her alive.  
  
After 18 days, the search was called off all together, depsite desperate pleading from Ash and Misty. That night, after a final search around the town, they came back to the beach house, escorted by an Officer Jenny, feeling agony, defeat, and certainly a great loss. Neither of them had anything beyond 15 hours of sleep in the last three weeks, terrified they might miss the call, the announcement that Arina was safe and sound.  
  
The house was an absolute mess from the police camp-out. Dishes were piled up in the sink, papers were scattered everywhere. The only thing that hadn't been touched was a small pile of Arina's toys next to the couch. Misty saw it as soon as they walked in, and fell to her knees, sobbing hard.  
  
"My baby! My precious angel..." Misty kept repeating. Officer Jenny felt her own tears brimming. No parent should ever have to suffer this much pain. She could find any words of sympathy that would sound forced and uncaring at the moment.  
  
"Misty, c'mon, please, lie down for a little while."  
  
Misty needed no further urging from Ash. Like a robot, she mechanically drew herself up and started for the bedroom.  
  
Ash turned as soon as his wife left the room. "Thank you, Jenny, for everything."  
  
Jenny forced herself not to spit out the phrase, "Just doing my duty!" This was an emotional case - neither she nor her team ever liked handling them and they all wished such terrible things never happened at all.  
  
"I'm very sorry, Mr. Ketchum, we did the very best we could -" Jenny was cut off by Misty's scream from the bedroom. Without a second thought, Ash and Jenny ran to the back of the house, and found Misty sitting on the edge of the bed, shaking, a piece of paper in her hand.  
  
"Misty?"  
  
"They have her, Ash! Team Rocket has Arina!" she held out the white sheet of paper and Ash took it, Jenny reading it aloud behind him.  
  
"Greetings to the #1 Pokemon Master and his wife,  
  
Do not be alarmed, your daughter is safe - for the moment. She is being held at a secret location under the close watch of my Rockets.  
  
You will bring one million dollars to the city cargo boat docks, Pier 10 at midnight Sunday. Fail to show, bring play money, money that has dye packs, or bring help of any kind, and the deal is off and Arina is ours.  
  
Sincerely,  
  
Giovanni"  
  
"What do we do?" Misty asked quietly. "We don't have a million dollars."  
  
"I'll organize a squadron immediately and contact all my relatives. We'll bust into every know Rocket hideout and get Arina back -" Jenny started, but Ash held up his hand.  
  
"No. Doing something like that would be suicide and Arina would be the one hurt for it."  
  
"Ash?" Misty asked.  
  
"We'll comply with Giovanni. Somehow we'll get the money and then we'll get Arina back."  
  
Sailor Raichu, from her position on the roof, nodded. "Yes we will Ash, we will get Arina back."  
  
* * * *  
  
Family and friends were only too willing to help Ash and Misty raise the one million dollars. They gave as much as they possibly could, but even then, it wasn't enough. They were short 100,000 Saturday night. The only way to get that money was to do something drastic...  
  
"We'll have the bank at home wire us the money, and then we'll pay them back."  
  
"100,000? Ash, we don't have that kind of money! We spent most of your prize money on the house..."  
  
Ash nodded solemnly. "We'll sell the house in Elegant City and move somewhere like Pallet, with a smaller house. It'll be worth it if we get her back. I will not lose Arina to Team Rocket."  
  
Misty nodded shakily. There was no other choice left.  
  
Sunday night, Ash and Misty arrived at Pier 10 five minutes to midnight. The air was heavy, and damp. The pier had few lights, most of which were laterns aboard docked ships in the harbor, which didn't lessen the darkness at all. Ash was gripping the steel case with the one million in cash while Misty clung to Ash's other arm tightly, and held one of Arina's favorite toys, a plush "Hello Kitty", dressed in a pink bunny outfit. Officer Jenny, against Giovanni's instructions, had several plainclothes police men, dressed as stevadores, posted around the area.  
  
"Arina? Are you here?" Misty asked aloud.  
  
"The child is fine - for now." a female shrouded in darkness answered her. "Do you have the money?"  
  
"Right here." Ash tightened his grip on the case.  
  
"Give it to us."  
  
Ash gritted his teeth. "Show me Arina; I want to see her and know she's all right."  
  
There was a tense silence. Then, a female Rocket with short blond hair, garbed in a black uniform came out, leading Arina by the hand.  
  
"Arina!" Misty gasped, forcing herself to stay back. One wrong move and Team Rocket would wisk Arina away forever.  
  
"Hi, Daddy!" Arina said, cheerful as ever.  
  
"Open the case and show me the money."  
  
Carefully, Ash opened the silver case, and showed it to her. Pleased, the woman stepped back, and put one hand on her hip, knowing she had the upper hand now. "Give me the money -now-, or I'm taking her for good." she belted out harshly.  
  
Solemnly, slowly, Ash walked to her and Arina, and handed over the case.  
  
"Giovanni thanks you." the woman bowed a little, and started to back off into the cover of darkness again, still holding Arina.  
  
Ash realized now he'd been tricked. They hadn't planned to give Arina back at all! "Let go of her!" he yelled angrily, and started to run after them.  
  
There was a sudden, angry yell of "Snap! Crack! Thunderwhip!" and an unnatural streak of lightning breached the darkness for a split-second. A cry of pain came from the Rocket; Ash only worried that Arina was alright.  
  
Sailor Raichu walked out with Arina then. The little girl ripped her grasp from the hero, running into her father's waiting arms. Ash picked her up, unable to hold back his sobs of joy at having his little girl back again. Misty ran to them both, crying as well.  
  
Police officers surrounded them, either going after the Rocket, or securing the area. Sailor Raichu had teleported away almost as soon as she had appeared, but watched the scene from a rooftop nearby.  
  
"You did well, SR."  
  
Sailor Raichu turned to face Tuxedo Takeshi, wiping away a tear that had formed at the corner of one eye with one gloved hand. "Thank you. For a minute though, I thought..."  
  
"But it didn't happen. Now let's go home; another little girl is waiting for you to tuck her into bed." Takeshi put his arm around her waist as they both disappeared into the darkness of the night.  
  
"Daddy?" Arina looked at Ash, still happy.  
  
"Yeah, short stuff?" Ash answered her, still wiping tears away.  
  
"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light! Surrender now or prepare to fight!"  
  
Ash was so startled that he nearly dropped Arina. "What? Honey, where did you hear that?"  
  
"Cass'dy told me I half to say dat to you."  
  
For the first time that night, Misty noticed what Arina was wearing - a kid size female black Rocket uniform, complete with black boots. "Honey, where did you get those clothes?"  
  
"I got new clothes!" Arina said happily. "Cass'dy gave 'em to me! She said if I want to get Pokemon, I have to dress like this."  
  
Ash looked at Misty, Misty looked at Ash and mouthed the word, "Brainwashed".  
  
"Let's go home." Ash finally said, softly.  
  
{Camera pulls away slowly, revealing more of the scene as it pulls back in an aerial shot. Police have roped off the area. Reporters are now swamping the place.}  
  
"This is Kate Mackey for Channel Six News. The scene you are witnessing is a view of Pier 10 from our Channel 6 helicopter. It's not clear what exactly is going on down there, but we believe Ash Ketchum's daughter has been found, although we are unable to confirm that - wait, ladies and gentlemen, I'm getting word from our station manager, yes, Arina Ketchum has been found, alive and well..."  
  
The End. 


End file.
